Dirigible airship



Nov. 17', 1925 F. 1 covERT V DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP Filed Dec. l5, 1924 2 Sheets5heet l Nov. 17 1925- F. L. COVERT DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

VFiled Dec. 13

Aliatented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED lSTA TESy FRANK C. COVFLRXI. OF XIRKWOOD.INE'W YORK.

n'IRIGIBLE .ernsnnav Application filed December 13I 1924. Serial No. 755,751.

To all fwltom, it may conecrn:

Be it known thatI, FRANK L. COVERT, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Kirkwood, in the county vof Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Dirigible Airship, of which the following is aspeci'- fication. A

This invention has a general reference to air crafts but has morespeciiic reference to a giant dirigibleair ship which I have devised especiallyfor use in time of war, although thel invention will be found useful in times of peacealso. l

It is my primary aim to construct an airship of this class which is adapta-ble forv forming a landing. for aeroplanes while afloat.v It is my idea to construct an airship with a 'specially designed landing whereby the planes may either take off ,or land safely, a single air ship being suiiicient forconveying a number of planes to a point of advantage in time of battle.

An important feature of the invention is to so construct the air ship that the land'- ing will be in the form' of a runway, the

same being disposed at the top of the ship and being properly centered so that the same will not be overbalanced during the ascension or descension of the smaller planes.

It is also within' my conceptionV to construct the ship to facilitate loadin `and -unloading of passengers, aviators an the like. It therefore follows that it is a yfeature to equip the air ship with an elevator in communication with the landing. y There are other features and advantages present in the invention and thesewill become apparentfrom the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an air ship yconstructed in accordance withy the present invention. i

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an'enlarged transverse section taken on theline 3-3 of Fi ure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail 4view s owing. the elevator, its shaft and .the runway.

In the drawing, thefairship is generally designated by the numeral 1. In .adapting the same to accomplish the end sought, it is provided at the center of its top with a runwayV 2 having a properly supported y platform or bottom 3vconstituting'a landing p for aeroplanes et. It is to be observed from Figure 2 that therunway gradually increases in width and decreases in depth from front and toward the rear end. This facilitates both ascension and descension. I propose to have the runway extending for substantially the full length of the ship. Particular emphasis is to be la-id on the fact that the use of a runway is exceedingly important in that it serves to possible overbalancing of the ship. For instance, if the landing'were on the top of the craft, disastrous result might be e countered. Obviously, by having the sunken landing and disposing the same at the exact center, there is little doubt that disastrous effects would be suffered.

At the forward end the runway communi- Catesn with a vertical elevator Shaft 5 in' which a suitable car 6 is movable. The car may be of. a size to accommodate a plane or it may be constructed for accommodating paf-asengers only, whichever plan is found most advantageous for loading and unloading passengers. If the first plan is followed, the planes might be lowered and stored in convenient compartments formed within the ship. As seen more clearly in Figure 4, the elevator shaft is in communication with the runway and in fact extends above it, a suitable closure 7 being provided for use at this end. lAt its lower end, the shaft is in communication with suitably constructed passenger containing compartments S.

In addition to the parts so far described, I have shown passenger cabins 9, motors 10, gas inflated bags 1l, suitable bracing,etc. I also contemplate employing ladder-ways 12 o'f any suitable configuration and preferably leading from the bottom of the vcraft to escape' openings inthe top. These may well serve to permit access to disappearing machine guns 13 distributed along the top Vof the ship. It may also be advantageous to have additional guns 14; located in the aforesaid runways.

IVhile Ilhave shown and described the invention as being particularly adaptable fory use in war time, I wish it to be understood that it will be quite advantageous for use in times of peace. For instance, while the air "ship is in flight, ascend from, or alight on the landin for loading and unloading passengers whilye the ship is `in Hight.

I wish it, to be understood that while I 'have shown and described a specific emguard against passenger planes may 'jV Having thus described the invention, what l. An'airship formed at ,the center of its ".top Withfa depression forming a runway and a landing -or aeroplanes, and an ele; vator leading rom'the interior of the ship to said runway.

claimed Meneses.

2. A11 airship provided in its top with a longitudinal centrally disposed depression forming a runway and a landingfor aeroplanes, said depression increasing in Width and decreasing in de th at its rear end, avertical elevator sha in the ship in oommunioation with 'said runway and an' elevator adapted to travel in said shaft.

`i In testimony whereof I aix In si'nature.V

FRANK L. ovaRT. 

